1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cutting devices and, more particularly, to a cutter for cutting predetermined shaped pieces from a sheet of thin material, such as paper.
2. Background Information
Cutting devices and tools have been in use for many years to cut various materials, such as hair, paper and cloth. These cutting devices often are sharp edged devices, such as knives and razor blades. While knives and razor blades may allow the user to cut continuously, the danger inherent in using such sharp devices is well known, and such instruments often are not appropriate for children. These sharp objects also may dull over time with continued use and thus their effectiveness in precision cutting diminishes over time. Another concern with knives and razor blades is that if the material to be cut is placed on a substrate, such as a floor or table, the underlying substrate may be damaged during the cutting process.
Scissors are another type of cutting device, which overcome some of the above shortcomings associated with knives and razor blades. Known types of scissors include blades pivotally attached to handles or finger and thumb loops. The scissors employ a shearing action between blades that are positioned on opposite sides of the material to be cut. As the blades are pressed together, typically by operating the handles or finger loops, the material is cut or separated by the shearing action of the blades.
The effectiveness of scissors is dependent upon the user who manually operates and controls the cutting movements. Thus, some scissors may not be suitable in certain situations, such as when precision cutting of a material to a predetermined shape is required. This is particularly the case when the cut material is to be inserted into another device where a close fit is desired. For example, in the mobile phone industry, there is an increasing trend to personalize the mobile phone to suit the user's current mood, clothes, etc. One such product allows the user to choose an image, such as a photograph or picture from a magazine, cut it to the desired shape, corresponding to the back of the phone, with scissors using a template. The cut material may then be inserted only into the back cover of the mobile phone. While scissors may accomplish the cutting task, the accuracy of the cutting and thus resultant fit is dependent on the user. This may result in jagged edged cutting or cutting of the material into too large or too small of a shape, thereby damaging the aesthetic look. Moreover, the material may even be completely miscut to the point that it is no longer suitable for its intended function.